'Fake news' discussion Monday in Framingham

Friday

FRAMINGHAM - Reporters and editors from local media outlets will lead a panel discussion on "fake news" on Monday evening at the McAuliffe Library on Water Street.

The event, scheduled to run from 7-9 p.m., is being hosted by the Framingham chapter of the League of Women Voters and the MetroWest Daily News.

Panelists include Anne Brennan, editor of the MetroWest and Milford Daily News; Mike Beaudet, investigative reporter for Channel 5 in Boston and journalism professor at Northeastern University; Burton Glass, executive director of New England Center for Investigative Reporting; and Aimee Reinhart from the Shorenstein Center at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

Panelists will discuss how to identify and understand what is “fake news.”

“Reliable information is the lifeblood of democracy, as is the free press,” said Brennan. “With the advance of social media and creation of news outlets that have a political slant, across the political spectrum, it is getting more difficult for news consumers to understand where news is coming from and what is reliable and what is untrue.”

“Fake news” is a term coined for inaccurate stories or information that gain local or nationalized attention but have not gone through the proper steps in securing the integrity and accuracy of the information shared. Such information is sometimes fabricated, false or misleading as a means to deceive people.

Many media outlets on a national level have been accused of reporting on “fake news,” while social media has also been blamed for playing a hand on the spreading of false information.

“Not only are people consuming this, they are sharing it,” said Brennan. “Once it gets shared on social media it is hard to stop.”

The discussion will include audience involvement, involving questions and an open dialogue so that identifying stories that are “fake news” can be easier to decipher. Attendees are encouraged to bring questions with them.